


Study Date

by glim



Series: sleeping lessons [4]
Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Academia, Captain America Steve Rogers/Modern Bucky Barnes, Cuddling & Snuggling, Domestic Fluff, M/M, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-21
Updated: 2018-08-21
Packaged: 2019-06-30 17:34:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15756501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glim/pseuds/glim
Summary: If he could capture this moment, he would, keep it quick and close in his heart. Every time Steve comes home, every time Bucky gets to hold him and kiss him and feel the warmth of Steve's arms around him: those are the moments he would keep safe and private.





	Study Date

_I'm going to be late. It's fucking windy and cold on campus. Chicken and rice sounds great. Been missing you. xox_

 

Bucky fumbles through typing the text message, considers getting gloves that allow him to text without freezing one of his hands off, and then just shoves the phone into his coat pocket. He stands in front of the History building for a minute, waiting for his hands to warm up in his pockets, and then braves the wind and the cold and the frozen slush for the trek across campus. 

Once he starts walking, it actually feels good to get outside. Two classes, office hours, and a department meeting meant Bucky spent almost the whole day indoors. And while it's bitter, mid-winter cold outside, his office and classroom were stiflingly warm and dry. The air stings his nose and cheeks a little, and his breath puffs clouds in front his face as he makes his way to the closest subway stop. 

It feels better, he thinks, to be walking outside, to feel his steps quicken as he strides across campus, to know that he's not just going home, but he's going back to Steve's place, and that he's going to spend the rest of the week with his boyfriend. 

He turns the word over in his mind and feels a different warmth filter through him. 

Steve's been gone for about a week and a half, though they were lucky to fit in a couple text conversations at the start of his last mission, and a FaceTime call last night when Steve was on his way home. 

He's safe, Bucky thinks, he's safe and he's home. Cooking dinner and watching terrible afternoon television. 

His boyfriend. He's got a boyfriend waiting at home for him. 

Bucky jams his hands further into his coat pockets and huddles down into his scarf as he quickens his steps once more.

*

"I thought you said you were going to be late." Steve's waiting outside his building for Bucky, dressed in running pants and a hoodie, and he smiles when Bucky leans into the arm he holds out for him.

"I'm kind of late. I didn't go back to my office after the meeting, though." Bucky looks up at Steve and catches his mouth in a quick kiss. 

"Good." Steve kisses him again, and then rubs his nose against Bucky's. "You're cold..." 

"It's cold outside, Steven." Bucky feels Steve smile against his lips and can't stop himself from kissing Steve one more time. 

If he could capture this moment, he would, keep it quick and close in his heart. Every time Steve comes home, every time Bucky gets to hold him and kiss him and feel the warmth of Steve's arms around him: those are the moments he would keep safe and private. 

He leans up to deepen the kiss, at least until the winter wind snaps around them and even Steve gives a little shiver against it. 

"I'm glad you're home," Bucky says. 

"Me, too." Steve stays close, then slips one hand into Bucky's coat pocket and into Bucky's hand. "Let's go get warmed up..."

*

"Did you bring work?" Steve asks after they've cooked, eaten, and cleaned up dinner. He hands Bucky one last dish to dry, then wraps his arms around Bucky from behind.

"Reading... Just reading," he says when Steve makes a curious sound and kisses the back of his shoulder. "I'm making a 'no grading at Steve's' declaration this semester." 

"You should probably just make a no grading at home declaration. I have mission debrief reports to review," he adds, and tightens his arms around Bucky when the dish-drying is finished. "I should get those in tonight." 

"Right." Bucky leans back in against Steve and closes his eyes. It's Thursday night, he doesn't need to be on campus again until Monday, and he could viably get his own work done tomorrow morning. But if Steve's going to be working, then he might as well get through some of the readings. "Study date, then." 

Steve nuzzles the hair tucked behind Bucky's ear and hugs him again. "I'll make tea. You can go change out of your professor clothes. Which, by the way," he adds, "pretty handsome..." 

Bucky laughs, and looks over his shoulder at Steve. He's not wearing anything special--dark jeans, a white tee-shirt and button-up, and a black sweater--but Steve's being so warm and affectionate, and, honestly, Bucky's just so glad to have him home and safe. He turns in Steve's arms and leans his head in against Steve's shoulder. 

"Well, I had a date tonight, too... "

"Now you have the after-date... um, date?" 

"Something like that." 

Bucky rests one hand on Steve's chest. He's still in the hoodie and workout pants, but he looks sweet with his rumpled hair and shy smile, and the way he tips his head to the side when Bucky reaches up to brush his hair from his forehead.

*

In the middle of Steve's bed is a neatly folded pile of laundry, jeans and tee shirts and workout clothes, some of it the clothes Bucky keeps at Steve's, some of it the few things Steve had been keeping at the Tower and ended up wearing at the end of his last mission. Bucky finds a pair of sweatpants and one of Steve's long sleeve tee shirts, and pulls them on after dumping his work clothes into the hamper.

By the time he gets to the living room, Steve has tea for them. He also has a frown on his face and his tablet in his lap. 

"You work too much," Bucky says, and sits himself down right next to Steve. "Do you want me to proofread? Or is it secret Avengers business?" 

"Not too secret, but ultimately boring. It's all forms and stuff this time," Steve says. He slides his fingers through Bucky's hair, and smiles when Bucky just leans right into him. 

Seriously, he doesn't even bother pulling his work from his bag, he leans into Steve and lets his head tuck in against Steve's shoulder. For a second, he thinks he wants to save up this moment, too, Steve warm and relaxed, little thoughtful frown on his face, fingers combing through Bucky's hair. 

Then-- _no_. No. He doesn't want quite that. As much as he wants to save this moment, he wants more to just sink into it, to feel the reassuring warmth of having Steve this close to him. To watch Steve quietly subvocalize as he reads the longer sections in the reports, to turn and press kisses into Steve's neck when he has to rest his eyes from reading on the screen. 

Eventually, he'll pull an article and pen from his bag, start marking up the research for his next chapter, and tuck his feet into Steve's lap so they can both get about a solid hour of work done. 

For now, though, while they drink their tea and slip into the long weekend together, he's going to cuddle himself in close to Steve and let the moment capture him.


End file.
